A tangy update to clam, corn chowder

SWEET corn and briny clams could be the most classic of American pairings. Hundreds of years before Europeans arrived on New England shores, Native Americans created the clambake by digging pits in the sand to steam them with lobster. Add water and cream to the mix, and chowder would follow soon after.

To honor this summertime tradition at Milk Street, we pair the two in a chowder, of sorts, that you can eat with your hands. Or maybe it’s a brothy clambake. Either way, the recipe from our book “COOKish,” which limits recipes to just six ingredients without sacrificing flavor, elevates the combination with the substitution of two flavor-packed ingredients.

First, rather than the typical potatoes, we opt for fresh fennel bulb, which adds notes of anise as well as contrasting texture. And second, we finish with a small measure of crème fraîche (or whole-milk yogurt) instead of cream. The